Tenascin and decorin in epiretinal membranes of proliferative vitreoretinopathy and proliferative diabetic retinopathy.

Extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis plays an important part in the pathogenesis of the intravitreal membranes and is thus characteristic of both proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR) and the involutive stages of proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). Using a polyclonal antiserum against human decorin and a monoclonal antibody against human tenascin, we detected these molecules in membranes from patients with raumatic PVR (n = 10), idiopathic PVR (n = 8), and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (n = 8). We conclude that both tenascin and decorin play a role in the development of epiretinal PVR and PDR membranes by controlling cell adhesion and regulating ECM formation.